A Taste of Hate
by Fyrloche
Summary: Inuyasha shows Miroku and Sango the darker side of the human face to prove a point about how nice people are not always so nice.


A Taste of Hate

**A/N: Hi guys. It's been a long time. I won't get into everything that has been keeping me from writing. I'm just glad to be back. And, don't worry, I'll be working on my other stories and posting to them soon. This idea came into my head, and I decided to run with it. I don't own Inuyasha and company. _chuckles_ Can you imagine trying to get Inuyasha in for a rabies shot?**

"Leave it alone, monk. I have my reasons."

Sango's head came up at the sound of the irate hanyou's voice. She was depressed because her best friend and soul sister had left for her own time because of Inuyasha and Kikyo. Swiftly she stood and went toward the sound of his voice, a look of grim determination on her face.

"I do not understand Inuyasha." came the disdaining voice of Miroku. "Why do you continue to hurt Kagome like that? You know she cares for you and I know that you care for her. Why do you continue to chase after Kikyo? She is dead, for kami's sake. Surely Kagome is much more pleasant to be with than that clay imitation of a woman."

Sango stopped at the edge of a small clearing where she could see Inuyasha and Miroku. The hanyou had his back to the monk, standing rigidly with his arms crossed. Before she could step into the clearing, she saw Inuyasha's posture change.

He slumped forward slightly, his ears drooping, and muttered. "You have no idea, monk."

Something about his posture and what he had muttered infuriated the demon slayer. She could tell that this stubborn hanyou felt more for her friend than simple friendship and she was fed up with him not showing Kagome how he felt. She broke through the underbrush and confronted the two men as they spun toward the sudden noise. "That is a question I would like to hear the answer to, as well!" She crossed her arms and glared at Inuyasha. "Why do you keep hurting her!"

Inuyasha huffed and turned his back. "Feh! You two would never understand."

Sango stormed up behind Inuyasha and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around to face her. "Why don't you try telling us and seeing if we understand? You don't like it when someone tells you that they know what you're thinking, so don't do it to us!"

Inuyasha crossed his arms and glared at her sullenly. Finally, he grimaced and growled at her. "You're right. I don't like it when people assume that they know what I'm thinking." He nodded slightly, "Alright then, if you want to know so bad, wait until Kagome gets back and we go to another village, one that we have never been to. Outside the village, we will separate and you two will go in ahead of us." He turned to go, then paused. "One more thing. You have to pretend that you don't know us. After Kagome and I leave the village, we'll meet up and continue on our way. Think about what you hear while we're in the village and I'll talk to you about it that night." That said, he turned and leapt away.

"You're still evading the question!" Sango yelled after him, and started to follow him. She stopped when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to see Miroku standing there, gently stopping her.

"Wait a moment, Sango." Miroku's face took on a contemplative look. "I think that Inuyasha wants us to see something for ourselves before he tells us."

"But why not just tell us." she countered.

"Sometimes it is easier to get a point across if you have your proof of what you are saying beforehand." He looked in the direction that his impulsive friend had went. "Especially if what you are going to say is unpleasant."

It was Sango's turn to look speculative as she stood next to Miroku and looked in the same direction. They stood in silence for a moment and then she spoke. "Houshi-sama?" she said, quietly.

"Yes, Sango?" he replied, just as quietly.

"Your hand doesn't belong there."

Things returned to normal over the next several days. Kagome came back and 'sat' Inuyasha, he cursed about it, and all was well, or at least as well as it usually got. Soon, they were out chasing down another jewel shard rumor. They had spent several days out and were entering into territory that they had not seen before. Around noon on the first day in this new area, the group topped a hill and saw a village in the valley below. Inuyasha had been racking his brain to come up with an excuse for sending Miroku and Sango on ahead. Kagome had provided the distraction. This time, when she returned from the future, she had brought back some elementary primers for Shippou. She had begun teaching the little kitsune how to read and write. This sparked an idea in Inuyasha's head. Actually, it was a way to kill two birds with one stone. The runt needed training and now was a good time to bring it up. He could say something to Kagome about it and give himself the distraction needed for Miroku and Sango to get into the village. A grim smirk played upon his lips. His friends were going to hear some things that might upset them, but it was about time that they understood the truth of how most people felt about him.

"Oi! Kagome! Hold up a second."

She turned at looked at him questioningly. "Yes, Inuyasha? Is something wrong?"

"Feh! I just want to talk to you for a minute." Inuyasha looked at the monk and the slayer. "You two go on ahead and get some supplies. We'll meet up with you on the far side of the village. And don't forget to keep your ears open … you know, for jewel shard rumors."

"Alright, Inuyasha." agreed the two. "See you later, Kagome."

"Bye, guys!" Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha. "Okay, Inuyasha. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"It's about the runt."

"Hey!" protested said runt, from Kagome's shoulder. "I haven't done anything to you lately."

"He's right, Inuyasha." Kagome agreed. "He has been behaving himself so what's the problem?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms and took on his superior attitude. "The problem is that he needs to be taught some things."

"But I have been teaching him." protested Kagome.

Inuyasha waved a hand. "You've been teaching him reading and writing, and his numbers and that's fine. When he gets old enough to have a family of his own, those things will come in handy. But, he needs to learn how to hunt and fight."

"But, he's too young." protested Kagome.

"I wasn't much older when I was out on my own. And I had to learn by myself. It ain't gonna hurt him to start learning." He looked at Shippou. "Oi, runt. I smelled a couple of rabbits a minute ago. Bet you can't track and catch one."

Shippou hopped off of Kagome's shoulder. "Of course I can." blustered the little kitsune.

Inuyasha gave him a slight kick to the backside. "Then get to it!" he ordered. Inside his head, Inuyasha was very pleased. 'This is going very well. Miroku and Sango should get into the village at least an hour before we do.' He disliked having to show his friends this side of human behavior, but they wouldn't believe him if he didn't.

Miroku and Sango entered the village and were immediately greeted by an old man at a well in the village square.

"Konichiwa, travelers! Come and refresh yourselves." called the old man.

"Arigato, kind sir." replied Miroku. "Water is just the thing after a long walk."

The old man laughed. "Indeed it is, young man, indeed it is." He smiled and looked over Miroku and Sango as they shared a dipper of water. A shrewd look passed over his face. "The two of you work together to get rid of demons." It was a statement, not a question.

Miroku looked at the old man and smiled. "Why, yes. As a matter of fact, we do. I exercise anyone or anything possessed by an evil demon and my beautiful partner," he indicated Sango with a gesture, "kills the more troublesome ones."

"You should stay awhile." suggested the old man. "We could use people like you here."

"Alas, it is regrettable, but we must decline." Miroku put on a sad face. "We are on a mission of some importance." Miroku glanced at the elderly man and grinned. "Our time is very important and should not be spent in frivolity." He slightly emphasized the word spent as Sango rolled her eyes.

"Ahh!" sighed the old man. "Perhaps we could find some inducement for you to spend some time here." He put the same amount of emphasis on spend as Miroku had on spent. "It is lunch time. Let's have lunch together, share some sake," the old man looked at Miroku and winked, "and discuss time well spent."

Miroku and Sango fell in behind the old man as he led them to his home. Miroku decided to take advantage of his partnership and placed his hand in its usual spot.

Sango colored and glared at the hentai monk. After a second, she regained her composure and stated, "Move it or lose it, houshi-sama."

Miroku's face took on a look of hurt. "My dear Sango, you wouldn't cut off my hand, would you?" giving her bottom a slight squeeze.

She smiled at him sweetly. "I never said that it was your hand that you would lose."

Miroku pulled his hand from Sango's backside as if he had been burned.

Inuyasha and Kagome entered the village about an hour or so later. Shippou had not had much luck in catching a rabbit, though he was able to track them to their barrow. Inuyasha had been pleased on several fronts. His ploy to delay Kagome had worked; he had managed to begin Shippou's training in things youkai; and, well, he was just pleased with himself. Now for the hard part, the part he always hated. New villages were all the same and the insults were all the same. And, even though he had heard them all before, on a certain level, they still hurt. Not the words, but the memories associated with them. Grimacing at his weakness, he shook his head slightly to clear it of such emotions. He didn't give a damn what these fools said and there was no way that they could hurt him. But, deep inside, a small hanyou knew what was coming and cringed.

Miroku and the elder were enjoying a cup of sake when the elder suddenly set his cup down. "I do not believe what I'm seeing."

"Your pardon, elder." Miroku looked around and saw Inuyasha , Kagome, and Shippou approach the well. "What is the problem?"

"Have you no eyes, man?" he sputtered. "That, that, that abomination has the gall to enter MY village as if he wasn't a demon. And he has the nerve to bring his whore with him." He took a deep breath to calm himself before he continued, not noticing the stiffening of the slayer. The elder looked at Kagome for a moment. "I have to admit, she's a pretty little slut. Too bad she had to take up with that filth." He turned and looked at Miroku and Sango. "I don't understand it. As many good young men as there are and she has to take up with that thing." Suddenly, his eyes brightened. "Maybe she's possessed. That's it! She's possessed! And it is fortunate that I have someone here who specializes in possessions. You can kill that hanyou and free her from his spell. Of course, she will still be tainted from her time as that things plaything but she should be grateful. She might even be willing to let her savior sample what the demon was getting." He finished with a leer in Miroku's direction.

Miroku and Sango controlled their growing disgust with this man who they had thought was so kindly. Miroku cleared his throat before he began to speak. "I sense no evil aura around the girl. I do not believe that she is possessed. Nor do I sense an evilness from the hanyou, either."

"So the girl is with him by her own choice." The elders voice held deep contempt. "Then she is nothing but a true whore and a traitor to her own kind. Kill them both."

"That is something that we have not agreed to do." Miroku drew himself up. "I am a Buddhist monk. I am sworn to respect all life. I will exercise and banish evil demons and spirits, but I do not kill unless pushed to an absolute extreme."

The elder paled slightly. "Forgive my presumption, houshi-sama. I was just so enraged to see that creature contaminating my village. How about this? You capture the creature and then my village and I will dispose of it."

"What of the girl and the kitsune child?" asked Sango.

"Eh?" the elder spun to look at Kagome again. "Huh! I didn't notice the kitsune before." He grew thoughtful. "Spare the girl, but bring her back to the village. Our whore died in childbirth recently and we could use her in that capacity. It will give her time to reflect on the bad choices she has made in her life. The child is young enough to train as a slave. The village could sell him for a profit." A crafty look suddenly crossed the elders face. "We might even be able to sell the hanyou as a slave. He looks strong enough. We can geld him to take the fight out of him and then break him to hard work. We could get quite a bit of gold for him. That's it!" The elder smiled. "Does that meet with your conscience, houshi-sama?"

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "I suppose it does." He ignored Sango's glare. "Now, we must discuss the fee."

"Of course, of course!" agreed the elder. "What did you have in mind?"

Miroku smiled as he began his negotiations. Whatever else happened, he planned that this wicked old man would pay dearly for this day. Fortunately, the old man was anxious for them to deal with Inuyasha so he did not haggle much. 'Probably expecting a huge profit from the sale of our friends.' Miroku thought in distaste. He turned to Sango. "It seems that we have a job to do. We will follow them out of the village to reduce the risk to the villagers before we deal with them."

Sango had caught on to the subterfuge early on, but she still had a hard time keeping the disgust from her face. Fortunately, what little bit of emotion that did show on her face was misinterpreted by their host as disgust for the hanyou. Miroku had started to go and she turned to follow him, but she was held up by the old man's hand on her arm. "I understand how you feel." he said, in a low voice. "And while I have said that you can spare the hanyou's life so that we can make him a slave, I wouldn't be too disappointed if you became, shall we say, overeager." He smiled and winked at her. It was all she could do to not hit the man in her disgust. Not trusting herself to say anything civil, she simply nodded and followed Miroku. As she caught up to him, she allowed some of her rage out. In a low voice, she began to describe their former host in very descriptive and colorful language.

Miroku was impressed. 'She has been listening to Inuyasha!' he mused. "Quietly, dear Sango." he admonished. "We are still inside the village. Someone may overhear you."

"I wish they would!" she whispered, tightly. "I could use a target."

"I understand." soothed the monk. "But let's listen to some of the other villagers as we leave to see if they share their elders feelings or not."

"Very well. We did promise Inuyasha that we would listen to the villagers. Let's mingle a little while we follow them. Maybe we'll find some of them who don't share the elders bigotry."

"We can pray that is so, but somehow I hold out little hope. Inuyasha wouldn't have had us come ahead of him if he had not known what we would find." Miroku was somber in this statement.

Sango shuddered slightly, hoping that it wasn't always this bad for her hanyou friend, but fearing that she would find out otherwise that evening.

As the two made their way through the village, trailing Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou, they heard many comments said quietly to avoid the attention of the hanyou. Most were along the lines of 'filthy creature', 'abomination', and 'bastard half-breed'. Some were directed at Kagome. Women would comment on her 'strange kimono' and that it wasn't proper and showed how much of a whore she was. Some of the men commented that it was a shame that she had taken up with 'that animal'. Others were more interested in whether or not she would let them sample what she was giving to her demon lover. Overall, Miroku and Sango were very glad to put the village behind them. They caught up with their friends a few hundred yards outside of the village.

"Hi guys!" Kagome greeted them cheerfully. She had been unable to hear the things said about her by the villagers, so was in a good mood. "Did you get everything we need?"

Miroku and Sango put on false smiles for their friends benefit even though they didn't feel like it. "We got what we went for." Miroku commented. "Let's get going. I, for one, would like to put some more miles behind us before we camp."

"Agreed." said Sango as she turned her back to the village. "There was a stench in that village that I would like to get away from."

Kagome was puzzled. "Stench?" she asked. "I didn't smell anything."

"You must not have been in the right place, Kagome-sama." answered Miroku. "I smelled it, too, and it is just as well that you didn't. It was truly appalling."

"Strange." Kagome commented. "And it seemed like such a nice little village."

"Yes it did, but sometimes appearances can be deceiving." replied Miroku.

"Feh!" interjected Inuyasha. "Ain't that the truth." That said, he set off, leading his party away from the quiet village.

That evening, Inuyasha dropped from his perch above the camp. He lightly touched Miroku and Sango to awaken them. As they came awake, he motioned with his head for them to follow him. He paused to look at Kagome sleeping with Shippou and nodded to Kirara as he left the campsite, followed by the monk and the slayer. After they had left, Kagome opened her eyes and sat up, looking in the direction that her companions had gone. Slowly, she got up, careful not to waken the sleeping kitsune. She put a finger to her lips for Kirara to be quiet. Kirara nodded and watched her with interest as she slipped on her shoes and followed after her friends.

Inuyasha walked for several minutes. He wanted to be sure to be out of earshot of Kagome. Finally, he stopped and turned to face his companions. "Well, now do you understand?"

Kagome had stopped just under the crest of a small hill. She had maneuvered herself into a position downwind of her friends, knowing from past experience that Inuyasha could smell her scent if she didn't take that into account. Her friends were over the rise of the hill and couldn't see her. She couldn't see them but she could hear everything. She knew that her friends were hiding something from her and she wanted to know what was going on.

"I must apologize, Inuyasha." 'Apologize?' "I had no idea that those villagers could be so narrow minded."

"Feh! Don't apologize for them! If they ain't the ones apologizing, then the apology is worthless."

"I meant that I must apologize for not understanding what it's like for you."

"Feh! You still don't understand all of what it's like to be me, but at least now you know what people think of me."

"Inuyasha?" Sango's voice asked for his attention. "Is it always like that?"

"Usually. Sometimes worse." He snorted. "The only humans who have accepted me without any reservations were my mother, Kagome, her mother and little brother, …. And one other." he finished, softly. He looked at his companions with a sardonic eye. "Even you two thought ill of me at first, for no other reason than that I am part demon."

"I was wrong to judge you so quickly, Inuyasha. I am very grateful that Kagome stopped me from sucking you up in my kazana."

"What's past is past. Don't let it bother you. I don't."

"But," interjected Sango, "that only confuses me more. If Kagome is one of the only people to accept you without reservations, then why do you keep pushing her away?"

Kagome's pulse quickened, waiting on Inuyasha's answer.

"Damn it, Sango! I thought you would see what it was like for me and get an idea of why I can't tell Kagome anything!"

"Do you think that she would care what those type of people think, my friend?"

"I know she wouldn't care, at first. But, even my mother started to care after a while." he sighed. "Though that was probably more for my sake than for her own." His voice got angry. "Kagome could get hurt! I'm not going to let that happen."

"You would protect her!" protested Sango.

"That's what I'm doing now! I've had two people that I love die in my arms because of me! Kagome is not going to be the third!"

Kagome's eyes shot wide open and her hands went to her mouth to stifle her gasp. 'He said it! Not in so many words, but he said it!'

"Then you do love her!" accused Sango.

Inuyasha growled. "Yeah, I love her. And because I love her, I'm never telling her."

"Inuyasha. Just because your mother and Kikyo died in your arms…"

"Who ever said that Kikyo died in my arms, monk?"

"But you said people that you had loved?"

"Yeah, well the second one wasn't Kikyo."

"Then who?"

Kagome heard Inuyasha take a deep breath and knew that he was about to reveal something that was painful to him.

"Back when I was a pup, we lived in a village near where my grandfather had been daimyo. My mother had some protection because of that and because she was the mate of the demon lord of the west. After grandfather died, what little protection my mother had vanished. She would get spat on for walking down the street." Inuyasha paused, gathering his thoughts. "One day, I defended myself in a fight with an older boy who had tried to slice off my ears with his fathers sword. He lost an eye to my claws when I struck out blindly in fear. The villagers came in a mob, drug my mother from our home and beat her until she was unconscious and they thought her dead. Then they left, looking for me. I got there in time to hold her head in my lap and listen to her last words. Then I listened to her heartbeat slow and stop. The villagers heard my howl of grief and came back, forcing me to leave my mother behind and run for my life."

Kagome let the tears run freely down her face. She wanted to sob and run to her hanyou and comfort him but she knew that he wasn't finished. If she went over there now, she and her friends would probably never hear the rest of what he had to say.

"I ran for days, eating what I could find. One night, I came across this remote farm. I was exhausted, so I went into the stable and hid for the night. I woke up the next morning to someone touching my ears. Her name was Hana and she was the daughter of the man whose farm it was. She had come into the stable to find eggs and had found me instead. Hana was young, about my age and had no fear of me. I was so grateful to have a friend that I nearly cried. I stayed in the forest surrounding the farm during the day, coming out into the fields to help her when her father wasn't around and going back to the stable at night. I was there for several weeks, living off the land and what food that Hana would sneak to me. One night, she came to me late in the evening. We sat together and talked and laughed, enjoying each others company. Suddenly, she leaned over and kissed my cheek. Before I could react, we heard an inarticulate roar. There was her father and he was furious. 'Disgraceful little bitch!' he screamed at Hana. 'You bring dishonor on our name!' He grabbed a pitchfork and lunged at us. One of the tines hit my firerat and was deflected. The other tines went into Hana."

Kagome could stand it no longer. Quickly she stood and broke out into sobs as she came over the top of the hill and threw herself into a shocked Inuyasha's arms. Reflexively, he wrapped his arms around her and held her while she cried herself out. After her sobs had quieted, he gently pushed her out to arms length.

"You're supposed to be asleep." he scolded.

Kagome sniffled and gave him a small smile. "I couldn't sleep, especially when I knew that my friends were keeping something from me." She turned her head and gave Miroku and Sango a pointed stare. They looked embarrassed.

"We're sorry, Kagome." apologized Sango. "Inuyasha wanted to keep this private. I think that he didn't want to expose you to some of the nastier aspects of the common villager."

"Damn right. Just because I hear that shit all the time is no reason for you to." He released his hold on her shoulders and folded his arms. "So just how long have you been listening."

"Since the beginning." Kagome's eyes started to water up again. "I'm so sorry, Inuyasha. No one should have to go through that."

"Feh! Doesn't matter." His eyes narrowed, suddenly. "You said you were here from the beginning?"

"Uh-huh." she agreed. Her eyes took on a strange look, somewhere between starry and sultry. "I heard you say you love me."

"Nosy wench! You were NOT supposed to know that, ever!" Inuyasha huffed.

Kagome stepped up to the suddenly very nervous hanyou. She reached up and grabbed the hair that hung down on both sides of his face and gently pulled his face down to hers. "But, I do know and I am going to make sure that you never forget that I do." That said she pulled him down the rest of the way for a very thorough kiss. Inuyasha reacted with shock, at first, then he let his pent up emotions take control, putting his arms around the miko that he loved and crushing her to him, deepening the kiss. The sound of a clearing throat brought them back to their senses. They both turned their heads to see Sango blushing deeply, and Miroku grinning like a fool. They gasped and blushed, pushing away from each other slightly, but not completely disengaging.

"It's about time that you finally acted on your feelings, Inuyasha." commented the still grinning monk. "I was beginning to wonder if you would explode before you did."

"Feh! Shut up, bouzou!" growled the embarrassed hanyou.

"Inuyasha?"

He turned back to look at Kagome.

"Would you finish your story, please? I would like to hear what happened to Hana and her father."

Inuyasha disengaged from Kagome and turned his back, his shoulders slumping slightly. She stepped up behind him and laid her hands on his shoulders. His head tilted back as he leaned into her touch.

"Not much left to tell. Two of the tines from the pitchfork took her in the chest. She began to cough up blood almost immediately. Her father started to pull the pitchfork out of her when I hit him in my rage. I just started swinging wildly, clawing at him like I was insane or something. Next thing I know, he's laying there, all torn up with his blood all over my hands and under my claws. I ran over to Hana and cradled her in my lap. It was like reliving my mother's death. She reached up to rub my ears with a slight smile on her face even while I heard her heart slowing down. I rocked her gently until her hand dropped down and I couldn't hear her heartbeat anymore. Then I howled for her like I did for my mother and cried until the sun came up. Then I buried her and went on the run again."

Kagome's tears had started again as she laid her head on Inuyasha's back. "I'm sorry."

Inuyasha turned in her arms and put his arms around her, kissing her lightly. "It happened a long time ago Kagome. Don't let it bother you."

"But it does bother me. What you went through back then and what you go through now, it's not fair."

Inuyasha snorted. "Whoever said life was fair. At least I'm strong enough to keep people from hurting me like that again."

"And you're strong enough to protect me too." The look Kagome gave him brooked no refusal.

The hanyou sighed. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't."

Inuyasha growled. "You better not." He released her and stepped back. "We need to get back to camp." he said, gruffly. "You humans need your sleep." That said, he turned to head back to the camp.

The others shared a smile and followed him. Kagome stepped up beside him and took his hand. He paused for a moment to look at her in surprise. Then, he laced his fingers through hers and brought it up to brush his lips across the back of it. "Let's go."

As they disappeared over the hill, Miroku's voice could be heard. "Inuyasha! We never told you what the village elder wanted to do to you." His voice faded and became indistinct as they got farther from the hill.

"HE WANTED TO DO WHAT!" came the sudden bellow that shook the silence of the night.

**A/N: Phew! This is the longest single chapter I have ever written. I hope you enjoyed it. Just a quick clarification. The pitchfork in this story was not one of the modern metal ones that most people would think of. It was one of the primitive wooden ones. Also, in case you're curious, Hana means flower. Next up will be a chapter for 'Reunion' then a one-shot about Kirara. Until then, Fyrloche. **


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